Opposition mayoral candidate in Poti Ugulava accuses gov’t of hampering his election registration
Gigi Ugulava has been nominated for Poti mayor by four opposition parties. Photo: Gigi Ugulava’s Facebook page.
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The candidate for Poti mayor, former Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava, says that the country’s Interior Ministry has not given him a document necessary to register for the race, which confirms that he is not a convicted felon for sexual or narcotics crimes.
Ugulava’s candidacy has been put forward by four opposition parties.
Ugulava says that if he will not receive the document soon enough, he may be late to register in the elections.
This is a deliberate campaign against me,” Ugulava said.
The ministry says that Ugulava was given an interim document the same day he applied for the document, adding that it needs additional time to collect information because there are ongoing cases in the court involving the politician.
Ugulava claims that the interim document does not say that he will be able to freely register for the elections.
The united opposition, which currently includes the United National Movement (UNM), European Georgia, Droa and Girchi-More Freedom opposition parties, nominated Ugulava for Tbilisi Mayor earlier this month.
Ugulava says that the October 2 municapal elections 'are crucial for ending' the Georgian Dream governance. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
- Ugulava served as Tbilisi mayor between 2005 and 2013.
- He was arrested back in 2014 for embezzling more than four million lari in public funds between 2010 and 2011.
- The prosecution said that the money was used to create 800 fictitious job positions within municipal service Tbilservice Group, through which funds were then funneled to pay the salaries of UNM party activists.
- He was released in 2017 and soon became the secretary general of a newly created European Georgia opposition party.
- In February 2020 Ugulava was sentenced to three years and two months in prison for the embezzlement of 48 million GEL from the Tbilisi Municipal Development Fund while in office.
- However, to prevent political escalation in the country, President Salome Zurabishvili pardoned him and another opposition leader Irakli Okruashvili in May of the same year.
- Ugulava left European Georgia after the 2020 parliamentary elections because of controversies with the head of the party Giga Bokeria on the party’s future.